Coffin-fastener



(No Model.) I

.L. G. KREGEL. COPFIN FA$TENER.

No. 562,622. Patented June 23, 1896.

Z a M 2 W 0 Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l LOUIS G. KREGEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COFFlN-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,622, dated June 23, 1896.

Application filed April 16, 1896. Serial No! 587,760. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

, Be it known that I, LOUIS G. KREGEL, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coiiin-Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention relates to certain improvements upon the style of fastener set forth iumyPatent No. 493,096,issued March 7 ,1893.

The object of my present invention is to simplify the construction and use of the fastener.

My present invention. consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figures I to'III, inclusive, are detail vertical sections taken on line I IILFig. V, Fig. I showing the fastener in elevation, Fig. II showing the clamp of the fastener and part of the lever in section, and Fig. III showing the clamp, the lever, and the screw all in section. Figs. IV and V are sect-ions taken on line IV V, Fig. I, Fig. IV showing the fastener in its open position and Fig. V showing it in its closed position. Fig. VI is a section taken on line VI VI, Fig. I.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents part of the body of the coffin or casket. having a sealing-strip 2, referred to in the patent mentioned. 3 is the lid of the casket, the edge of which preferably has a raised flange a. Each fastener consists of a clamp 5, a lever 6, and a screw 7, fitting a thread in the clamp, these parts being held to the body of the casket by means of a headed pin 8, that is preferably in the form of a screw, that is, it preferably has a slot 9 to receive asc-rew-driver and a threaded lower end to engage the casket.

The clamp of the fastener has a shoulder 10, (see Figs. I and V1,) above which is an overhanging lip 11, adapted to engage the lid of the casket when the fastener is applied. The lever 6 is made fast to the screw 7, as shown at 12, Fig. III, so that the turning of the lever revolves the screw. The lever has an upturned end 13 to provide a finger-piece by which the lever is turned. The lip 11 of the clamp has a projection 16 against which the lever impinges when the latter is turned back in loosening the fastener to cause the lip 11 of the clamp to be removed from over the lid of the casket, or to be moved from the position shown in Fig. V to the position shown in Fig. IV. The thread of the screw '7 is made with a long pitch, so that but a short movement of the lever 6 causes a comparatively long movement of the clamp of the fastener.

17 represents an elastic washer that may be placed between the clamp 5 and the upper face of the body of the casket.

In operation, the fasteners are all moved (a casket would be provided with a number of these fasteners, as in the patent referred to) to the position shown in Fig. IV. The lid is then applied, and the clamp 5, with the lever G, is moved around until the shoulder 10 of the clamp engages the edge of the lid, as shown in Fig. I. The lever 6 is then moved to the position shown in Fig. V, or approximately to this position, and the clamp being held from movement by the shoulder 10 engaging the lid of the casket, the lip 11 of the clamp will be brought down with force from the position shown in Fig. II to the position shown in Fig. III, thus tightening the lid against the sealing-strip 2.

\Vhen the lid is to be removed, the levers are turned back, and by the time that they reach the projections 16 on the clamps they have loosened the clamps from engagement with the lid of the casket, and then, coming against the projections on the clamps, they carry the clamps around with them from the position shown in Fig. V to the position shown in Fig. IV, or approximately to this position, and then the lid may be removed, as the parts 11 of the clamps are out of line with the lid of the casket.

The fastener is neat in appearance, and can be readily understood by any person in its operation.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a lid-fastener, the combination of a clamp portion having a lip adapted to over hang and a shoulder adapted to come against the lid, a screw threaded into the clamp, a lever attached to the screw, and a pin for holding the parts in position and about which the parts revolve, substantially as set forth.

2. In a lid-fastener, the combination of a clamp portion having a lip adapted to overhang and a shoulder adapted to engage the lid, a screw threaded into said clamp, a lever made fast to the screw, and a pin for holding the parts in position, the lip of said clamp having a projection adapted to be engaged by said lever and said lever having an upturned end by which it is manipulated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a lid-fastener, the combination of a clamp portion having a lip adapted to fit over the lid, a screw having threaded contact with the clamp, a lever for turning the screw and means for holding the parts in position, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lid-fastener, the combination of a clamp 5 having a shoulder 10 and a lip 11 provided with a projection 16, a screw 7 threaded into said clamp, a lever 6 secured to the upper end of said screw, and a pin 8, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LOUIS G. KREGEL.

In presence of E. S. KNIGHT, N. FINLEY. 

